What Remains of Me

Adrian Vale is a mild-mannered watchmaker in a quiet coastal town, living a solitary life after a tragic accident killed his wife ten years ago. One night, he receives a strange package with no return address. Inside is a pocket watch—one of his own designs, but he’s never made this particular one. The watch is ticking backward.

Soon after, Adrian begins experiencing blackouts. When he wakes, he finds evidence of another life: unfamiliar keys in his pocket, bruises on his knuckles, and strange photos on his phone—photos of people who later show up dead.

Terrified he’s losing his mind or being framed, Adrian investigates, only to uncover a disturbing truth: years ago, as part of a secret cognitive experiment, he had a neural implant installed to help cope with grief by simulating an alternate personality during sleep. The project was abandoned… or so he thought.

Now, his second self—brilliant, amoral, and ruthless—has awakened, and it has a plan. The backward-ticking watch is a countdown, and when it reaches zero, the “Adrian” who wakes up will no longer be the man who lost his wife—but the one who knows how to make sure he never has to lose again.